NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – During the first week of school in New Braunfels ISD, at least two families had problems with their child’s bus driver. A three-year-old preschooler was left on the bus and the school did not find out about it until the child’s parents called to say their child had not come home.
In another incident, two elementary school children were asked to get off at the wrong school bus stop after telling the driver that it was not their stop.
Sheila and Isaac Dimas have several children, two of whom are 7 and 9 years old. They have both been riding the school bus for years.
However, on the third day of school, they rode the bus and said the driver did not stop at their stop. When the driver reached the last stop of the route, the boys told the driver that this was not their stop. The boys said the driver told them they had to get off and that this was the last stop.
“I was very confused,” said one of the children. “I wanted to tell them that you missed our stop and could we go back to school. He said: No, you can’t. You can’t.”
The boys said they were “frightened” and “confused.”
They didn’t have cell phones to call home and didn’t know where they were. They were grateful that another boy riding on the bus with them noticed the interaction and told them they could walk home with him and his mother would help them.
When they reached the house of the third little boy, his mother called the school and the school contacted the mothers of the two boys to inform them of the incident.
“My heart sank,” Sheila said. “We didn’t know who she was, but we’re thankful she was there at the bus stop.”
“The little boy didn’t even know our children,” said their father Isaac. “He just offered to help.”
Sheila contacted her husband Isaac, who rushed to get his children out of the person’s home. Since then, the school has been in touch with the family on several occasions.
Sheila told KSAT that the school offered a “sincere apology,” but she had not heard from the transportation director as of Sunday evening and that the incident occurred Thursday afternoon.
“I tried to reach her a few times and left messages,” Sheila said.
“We need to feel safe, otherwise we won’t send our children to school. Why don’t we just homeschool them? If I have to worry about my children’s safety, they have no reason to go to school,” Isaac said.
On Sunday morning, KSAT contacted New Braunfels ISD for comment on the situation. As of this publication, KSAT had not received a response. KSAT will follow up with the district on Monday morning.
“What he did is unacceptable,” Isaac said. “And I don’t know what his future will be in this area, but I don’t even know if I want him driving our bus anymore.”
This is one of two incidents KSAT reported on in the New Braunfels ISD bus system during the first week of school.
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